>> INSIDER WIRE —Even more shifts are happening at Interview in the wake of Fabien Baron's comeback: editor-in-chief (and V alum) Christopher Bollen, left, is to be editor-at-large, and executive editor Stephen Mooallem, who has been at the magazine for six years, is to be installed as editor. Meanwhile, Karl Templer's return as creative director is still said to be imminent. [WWD]

>> INSIDER WIRE —Some are surprised that Fabien Baron is being welcomed back at Interview, given the magazine's financial state and that Baron was originally let go because he was going over budget.  Apparently, fashion director Joe McKenna — who is expected to leave — cancelled a recent shoot on grounds of nonpayment, creative directors Michael Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak of M/M Paris quit because they are owed three months pay plus expenses, and a number of retouchers and photographers are owed, including Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, who have not been paid for their August 2009 cover story. [FWD]

>> INSIDER WIRE —As rumored, Fabien Baron is coming back into the Interview fold as editorial director, replacing former co-editorial director Glenn O'Brien. Baron was originally fired in January and took creative director Karl Templer with him.  After he left, the logo revamp he did was replaced and Mathias Augustyniak and Michael Amzalag of M/M Paris were brought in as creative directors. Baron is said to be talking to top talent about coming back with him — M/M Paris do not appear to be currently working on the August 2009 issue and are expected to leave the magazine  — will he revert the logo as well? [WWD, FWD]

>> INSIDER WIRE —If editorial director Glenn O'Brien leaves Interview as rumored, Fabien Baron might be back to run the show.  While the magazine's owner Peter Brant is embroiled in a messy divorce, his son, Brant Publications' new president Ryan Brant, is said to be running the show and wants Baron, who was popular with advertisers, back.  Discussions between Baron and Brant have gone far enough that Baron has approached top talent about returning to Interview with him. [FWD]

>> BLOWING THE COVER —M/M Paris's revamp of Interview, complete with new handwritten logo (influenced by the one used in the '70s) and new layout (which supposedly includes less model-heavy fashion editorial), debuts with the April 2009 issue featuring Zac Efron.  There seems to be no hard feelings between Fabien Baron and one half of M/M Paris, Michael Amzalag, but the graphic design duo, together with newly-named fashion director Joe McKenna (who replaces Karl Templer) have their work cut out for them: ad pages dropped 27 percent in 2008, and another 38 percent in the first quarter of 2009. [WWD]

>> INSIDER WIRE —Despite Interview going under a full revamp from Fabien Baron's design for its May 2009 issue under the care of new creative directors M/M Paris, all seems amicable between the two — Purple's Olivier Zahm snapped Baron wishing half of M/M Paris, Michael Amzalag, luck backstage at Prada. [Purple Diary]

>> Now that the news of Fabien Baron and Karl Templer's departures from Interview has had a chance to sink in, a little background on the breakdown.  According to sources close to the magazine, Baron, who also owns agency Baron & Baron, spent too little time in the office and too much money on shoots.  Fabien's co-editorial director, Glenn O'Brien, seems to confirm these reports: "Fabien is a busy man. We haven’t seen him a lot up here.  We have to have our needs met here.”

That, in addition to the fact that "he comes with a big price tag," especially in a time of falling ad pages, did not bode well.  His pricy fashion spread expenditures did not mesh well as Interview's bottom line went lower than expected, and supposedly, Baron began to feel pressure from Brant Publications to cut costs, "take the magazine more mainstream, popular, and Hollywood."  Although Baron hung up on WWD when asked for a comment, he and Templer, who chose to leave when Baron was pushed out, "tried to come to terms and were very disappointed at having to leave."

According to Glenn O'Brien, the parting wasn't so pretty: “In any creative enterprise, there’s always screaming."  But until April, when M/M Paris take over creative direction of the issues . . .
*image: source

>> Yesterday's surprising news came in the form of co-editorial director Fabien Baron leaving Interview and taking creative director Karl Templer with him.  Today's surprising news?  Also about Fabien Baron — it's rumored that he may be launching his own publication with Templer.

Brant Publications released a statement in response to their exits today, confirming that Baron "decided to resign in order to focus on [his agency Baron & Baron]" and Templer resigned "in order to focus on other projects." 

Baron also commented on his move — "now it’s time to focus all my energy on my own business and the many clients that have been loyal to me over the years" — but does his "own business" include a new magazine, as the buzz among his colleagues indicates? His "many clients" — which include luxury brands that Baron directs and sometimes even photographs ads for — could, as Gawker points out, allow Baron to be "especially well positioned to land what remains of [luxury print advertising]."

Meanwhile, back at Interview, M/M Paris, who just like Fabien Baron are well known for their work with Vogue Paris and luxury advertising, are said to be taking over creative direction.
*image: source

>> INSIDER WIRE —Slightly over a year after Fabien Baron left Vogue Paris to become co-editorial director at Interview, he has left the magazine and is taking creative director Karl Templer with him.  No more details have been released thus far — maybe they got poached by W, which Karl often styles for? — but this news seems surprising, since Baron and Templer's first full-blown issue was just last September.  [WWD]